But they were lucky not concede more, with Massimo Maccarone having a penalty saved by Kasey Keller and Joseph-Desire Job missing a sitter after a Dean Richards error. The defensive frailties are still there.

Pleat's post-match assessment was that Middlesbrough hardly brought a save of note from Keller, but his own £14million strikeforce failed to put Mark Schwarzer under any pressure.

A first-half volley from Darren Anderton brought a fine one-handed save from the Boro 'keeper but that was the sum total of their efforts.

After a forgettable first half, Boro boss Steve McClaren introduced Maccarone and Spurs began to panic.

On the hour, referee Mark Halsey adjudged Richards to have brought down Job only for Keller to save Maccarone's penalty. Three minutes later, Job missed one of the easiest chances he will ever have and the winner came 10 minutes later courtesy of a glorious run from Nemeth.

He latched on the Franck Quedrue's through ball, held off Richards, rounded Keller, and placed the ball into the empty net.

Pleat's said : "Middlesbrough had a little surge after half-time that disturbed us a little.

"I thought the penalty was very harsh but fortunately he didn't score. Then we present Job with a great opportunity from which he should have scored. It was a complete and utter mistake by our defender.

"Nemeth took his goal quite well but we feel we could have prevented that."